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Interstellar War
Interstellar war '''is generally defined as any war that involves conflict on a national scale (i.e., officially declared war) and utilizes starships in any of several roles, usually in ship-to-ship engagements and the landing of troops on astrological bodies. Such wars, however, are a rare occurrence, due largely to their massive expense, both in terms of finance and soldiers. They are usually short in duration, limited to a matter of months. Grand Strategy As a result of the nature of the Void, strategy in interstellar war is often complicated and is based largely on intelligence regarding the location of the enemy's fleets and the time it takes for said fleets to travel certain distances, but also includes such traditional elements as unit strength and starship strengths and weaknesses. Because traveling through the Void doesn't require straight lines, and because until 468 there was no way to interdict traveling ships, conflict between stars always requires nations to constantly guard various points of economic and strategic interest. Capital systems must remain protected at all times to protect from a surprise attack; industry and supply centers require the same considerations. These metaphorical chains that connect fleets to various worlds consequently leave a limited portion of a nation's fleet available for open maneuvering or incursions into an enemy's territory. This is merely conventional strategy, however. Although only six interstellar wars have ever been fought, the orthodoxy of logistics was quickly established. The most notable exception to this "tradition" took place in the Aresian-Outcast War, where Aresian forces left their capital world of Sorvia largely undefended, during the time-frame that included the Battle of Artemis Prime and the Battle of Eldridge Minor. Upon examination, however, the reasons for this seemingly foolish move are sound. Much of the Outcast Confederacy's fleet was accounted for when these moves took place, meaning that the risk of an attack on Sorvia was low. Furthermore, by keeping their entire fleet on the move, Aresian Command made themselves unpredictable and more able to surprise the Outcast; as a result, Confederate forces were forced to guard their assets more carefully, leaving them a limited maneuvering fleet to fight a full Aresian fleet, smaller though it was. Most military analysts and historians acknowledge that interstellar grand strategy is still a largely undeveloped arena, ripe for improvisation and innovation that could tip the balance of a conflict. Battle Tactics Ship-to-ship combat in the vacuum of space, often referred to as extra-atmospheric battle (EAB), revolves around shields. Until the development of the PTX Shield Regenerator by the Ramiran Defense Corporation, shields, once melted off by attacking ships, could not be replaced until active combat was over and repairs were possible. As a result, shields were the most valuable defense starships possessed. How the assets of shields were used, however, depends on the ship type. Capital Ship Warfare In engagements between '''capital ships, shields are generally preserved by regularly rolling the ship, to present undamaged shields (and laser batteries) to any attacking vessels. In large battles, however, this can be difficult due to potential surrounding by enemy starships. In these cases, the objective for the captain is to extricate their ship from that position as quickly as possible, so as to use the ship's shields to maximum effect. For attacking ships, denying this escape to their victim becomes the objective: trapped within a rough sphere of attacking ships, the target stands virtually no chance of survival. Naturally, the size and strength of the warships involved also plays a heavy hand in how such situations resolve. For example, a ''Vuran-karo'' Battle Dreadnaught surrounded by six Orion Frigates stands a much greater chance of survival or even victory than if even one of the Orions were to be replaced by something like a [http://newerauniverse.wikia.com/index.php?title=Ciltri_Heavy_Frigate&action=edit&redlink=1 Ciltri Heavy Frigate]. Another common tactic is to attempt to take out as many of the enemy's laser batteries as possible: if she cannot shoot, she cannot hurt you. Standard laws developed for ground battle also apply: strength and numbers are still two of the defining elements for determining the outcome of an engagement. The use of missiles is a controversial one, but undoubtedly a vital component of EAB. EMP missiles, developed early on in interstellar history, have reached a point where they are generally accepted to be useful only in surprise attacks. Conventional, explosive warheads are likewise of dubious value, due to Defensive EMP Fields, which emanate a zone of about ten feet out from the hull of the ship, deadening any incoming missile and making it merely a ballistic piece of metal. Several arms manufacturers are researching the feasibility of creating explosive missiles that don't rely on any electricity or circuitry for detonation, but nothing marketable has been produced yet. Currently, missiles are most commonly used as anti-fighter weapons, as many of the smaller ships don't have the onboard space necessary for accommodating a DEMPF. Starfighter Combat (Dogfighting) Starfighter EAB tactics remained largely unchanged from those used in atmospheric combat, with a limited number of major changes: #First, if starfighters are equipped with voiders, pilots without larger ships to carry them must deal with the fatigue of being trapped in a cockpit for days at a time. This can have a drastic effect on combat efficiency and readiness, and most pilots try to avoid such circumstances if at all possible. #Secondly, the addition of shields into the mix makes it a longer process for fighters to destroy each other. It takes approximately 0.3 seconds for a Gamma-grade laser to melt through shielding at close range, and with Laser Impact Warning Systems (LIWS), pilots are able to swerve almost immediately after being attacked, making a killing shot hard to attain. Some experimentation is being done with adding turrets to fighters, in order to make target-locks easier to maintain, therefore making a quicker kill. #Stellar objects also differentiate EAB from atmospheric combat. Not only are there astrological bodies to bear in mind (planets, moons, asteroids, micrometeorites, etc.), but there are also the often hostile obstacles of capital warships to consider. If in a large scale battle, these not only clutter the field, but they also take combat navigation to an entirely different level. For example, warships can be used as shields to protect the pilot from enemy fighters or warships, or as ways to lose a pursuer. If a pilot can fly around an allied warship, there is a significant chance that the larger ship's gunners may be able to destroy an enemy fighter in pursuit. #Flying in EAB is also different than atmospheric combat by simple virtue of the inherent qualities of environment. Because of a lack of air or other gases, sharper turns are possible in a vacuum, as well as higher speeds. Ejection, however, becomes much more dangerous, both because of the nature of vacuum and because the pilot does not fall to the earth--he or she remains in the middle of the combat area, and is therefore still at high risk. Unless some major upgrades can be made to the starfighter category of ships, many strategists see their role as a rapidly fading one, with attack ships (larger, light-freighter sized ships with more weapons capacity, and the space to carry PTXs) likely to take on their tasks. List of Interstellar Wars *The Fortnight War *AI Rebellion *Aresian War of Secession *Crystali-Terran War *Aresian-Outcast War *War of Redemption (Terran Civil War) *Second Crystali-Terran War *The Shadowsea War *The Border Collapse